Dallas Branham Dances His Way to State and National Beta Club Honors

Bullitt Central High School junior Dallas Branham earned First Place in Special Talent at the Kentucky and National Senior Beta Convention.

Dallas performed a three-minute contemporary/acrobatic style dance which garnered him a trophy.

“I felt good about the performance but was still a little shocked to be named for First Place,” said the 16 year-old son of Rhonda and Brian Branham. “Everything was so loud and people were screaming so I had to ask someone what happened and they said, ‘You won!”.

Dallas was allowed to pick his musical piece and design the choreography. His style is based on tempo…the faster the music, the quicker his movements which makes a short dance routine very challenging.

“During the performance, I don’t think much. It’s all about memory and muscle movement,” Dallas said. “Stamina is definitely the hardest part. You get very winded and not sure if you can finish the dance.”

The competitive spirit he shares with an older sibling is a prominent part of his driving force.

“I am inspired by my sister to push harder,” he said.

Dallas has been enrolled at Upstage Dance Center in Valley Station since he was four years old. He immediately took to the art form, similar to his sister Jordan.

“It started as competitiveness with Jordan, who is now 19, but then became something we both enjoyed,” Dallas explained.

He and Jordan even teamed for a duet which won First Place at the Kentucky Senior and National Beta Convention two years ago.

“It’s not as much about sibling rivalry as it is about being the best dancers on stage during the performance,” he said.

Sporting a black jacket with Teen Mr. Dance of America 2019, Dallas was also named Jr. Mr. Dance of America 2015 competing with Upstage Dance Center.

“I was shocked but happy at winning Jr. Mr. Dance,” he said. “After taking off a little time, I returned and won Teen Mr. Dance which I felt I had been waiting for a long time.”

His dancing ability has been recruited to perform at dance chapters in North Carolina and Ohio

Dallas hopes to make professional dance part of his future and plans to attend Pace University in New York City, which no surprise, is in the home of Broadway. He also plans to audition for the tv show So You Think You Can Dance.

He certainly has the academics to success with good grades in AP English III, Chemistry, Pre-Calculus, AP U.S. History, Digital Literacy and Speech.

Dallas will always be grateful for the opportunities afforded by Beta Club.

“It’s all about leadership and community service,” he said. “I enjoy doing volunteer work for the community.”

His hobbies include dancing, listening to music, going to the movies and hanging out with friends.

“If dance is something you are interested in, make it your own thing, set your own style and be the best at it,” he said.

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Bullitt County Public Schools1040 Highway 44 East Shepherdsville, KY 40165